Anyone who knows me well will tell you that, as well as being a huge video game nerd, I’m also a bit of a tree-hugger at heart, albeit one that possess neither a tie-dyed t-shirt nor the coordination required to play hacky sack. So as much as I like the idea of surrounding myself with dozens of Nintendo’s cute little Amiibo figurines, I just can’t bring myself to add yet more mass-produced plastic junk to my home when I know that it’ll only end up in a landfill someday (come on, Amiibo can be hard to find, but they’re hardly collector’s items).

But this woolly Yoshi Amiibo announced by Nintendo of America last night is not only much kinder to the environment, it’s one of the most adorable things ever, so I don’t think I’ll be able to resist getting one of my own.

Revealed during the most recent of Nintendo’s famous “Nintendo Direct” online presentations, this Yarn Yoshi – as it has been dubbed – will go on sale to coincide with the launch of upcoming Wii U title Yoshi’s Woolly World, an action-platform game set in a soft and cuddly land where everything looks to have been knitted out of wool.

▼ Woolly windmills and balls of yarn to throw? Yoshi’s world couldn’t be any cuter!

Unlike the Amiibo figurines we’ve seen to date, Nintendo has opted to create this delightful dino out of genuine yarn, meaning that was well as looking right at home amongst our game collections, this little guy will also double as a bedtime pal. If, you know, you’re into that kind of thing. Which I’m totally not and think is super childish. Ahem…

The Yarn Yoshi will work just like any of the plastic Amiibo figures: just hold it over the sensor on the Wii U gamepad and the console will read the NFC chip knitted into it. In the case of Yoshi’s Woolly World, players who use the Amiibo will be given an additional woolly Yoshi to accompany and aid them on their quest.

You can check out how the Amiibo works with the game as well as see plenty of footage of Yarn Yoshi himself in the presentation video below, which we’ve set up to play right from the Yoshi part. See, we’re nice like that.

The Yarn Yoshi Amiibo will be available in three colours: green, pink and light blue, and will go on sale this autumn. You’ll forgive me if I make up for my lack of plastic Amiibos by buying one of each the moment they become available.